grande dame

noun

ˈgrän-ˈdäm 

plural grandes dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z)  also grande dames ˈgrän-ˈdäm(z) 

1

: a usually older woman of great prestige or ability

2

: granddaddy sense 2

Synonyms of grande dame

• dowager
• matron
• mother

Examples of grande dame in a Sentence

the city's grandes dames still hold considerable sway in its cultural life

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s no denying the enduring glamour of this grande dame, whose secluded locale at the tip of the Cap is as much a draw for the jet set as the intimate cabanas where Greta Garbo once retreated and the saltwater infinity pool carved into the cliffs. —Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026

With Paris’s hotel scene skewing more boutique by the minute, Lutetia’s masterful restoration reminds us that this has always been a grande dame city at its core. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

So far, so Agatha Christie, although that grande dame of whodunits stuck to human crime-solvers. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026

As grande dame journalist Kara Swisher concludes in Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever, which airs today on CNN, the number one key to longevity? —Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, great lady

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for grande dame

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame